Backlinks
A backlink is nothing more than a reference from another website that leads to a page on one's own domain. For search engines like Google, this is a sign that a page must have a certain relevance; otherwise, why would someone "recommend" it through a link? This is rewarded with a higher ranking within the search engine. Link building strategies are therefore fundamental to search engine optimization.
Construction of a backlink
A backlink consists of two elements: the URL and the anchor text. The HTML code <a href="URL">Anchor text</a> specifies which keyword links to which page. This could look like this for a backlink: <a href="https://www.arboro.de">Shopware Agency</a>. But why go through such effort and not just always link directly to the domain name? Well, by using anchors in links, you can ensure that certain keywords achieve better positions in web search engines. This way, there is the possibility of reaching top positions for multiple search terms, rather than just for the name of one's own website. For this reason, the anchor text for a backlink should be chosen carefully. The text should ideally always accurately describe what the user can expect on the page to which the link navigates.
Give me your backlinks, I'll give you mine…
Naturally, the question arises how to acquire such backlinks as part of your SEO strategy. On one hand, by publishing good content on your website and actively spreading it on the web, for example through social media platforms like Facebook, so that users become aware of it and voluntarily link to it simply because they want to recommend the good content. High-quality content marketing is the best way for valuable backlinks. However, especially at the beginning, it is a bit more laborious to make a name for yourself on the World Wide Web. Another way is to exchange links, for instance by contacting bloggers who blog about relevant topics and suggesting a link exchange to them. Besides the possibilities of link exchange, there are countless web directories, article directories, social bookmarking services, press portals, and much more on the WWW that can serve as sources for backlinks. Although the quality of these backlinks is generally not particularly high, at least you create a certain base, which is also important for search engine registration. Caution is advised when buying links. Google does not look favorably upon this. Although purchased links still have their effect if you observe a few basic rules, in the long run, the search engines will find ways to put a stop to the last possibilities here.
Tip: Backlinks should be set from thematically relevant pages and/or articles. This brings more to one's own page and is rated higher by Google. For example, if I sell running shoes, a link from a page with the main topic of sports would be good. Those who crudely buy links and generate backlinks from thematically irrelevant pages risk that Google will devalue the link. In link building, as in content marketing, the golden web rule applies: user interest is paramount and every link must fulfill its benefit for the visitor of a website.
Caution for Bad Neighbourhood: to prevent the website from ending up in a bad environment
In link building, it is also important to avoid so-called bad neighborhoods. These would include websites that engage in Black Hat SEO (search engine optimization that violates Google Webmaster Guidelines) or operate in thematically questionable areas (pornographic material, gambling, etc.). Backlinks should not come from sites that have already received a penalty. Such links can result in your own website being penalized and, in the worst case, even removed from the search engine index.
Follow, nofollow, sponsored, and "user generated" backlinks: different options in SEO link building
To describe links in the context of SEO in a differentiated manner, Google provides various attributes that can be used for search engine optimization. For example, backlinks can be set to "nofollow." This means that the web crawler (Googlebot) should no longer follow this link. However, this is only a suggestion for the bot. It is still not advisable to generate a lot of bad links and then simply set them to "nofollow." Avoiding bad neighborhood should be a top priority. Additionally, those who engage in link buying can use the "sponsored" tag to label purchased backlinks as such for search engines like Google. The linking will not count towards the ranking, but there are also no penalties to fear. There is also the "ugc" tag for User Generated Content. These are contents created by users. Especially in comment sections, spam links are often posted that are often of dubious nature. The "ugc" attribute allows such links to be marked. Google then knows that the content does not originate from the operator of a website.